1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to microprocessor controlled video games and personal computers and to the communication between the central processing unit ("CPU") of a host computer system and that of a co-processor computer system to provide application software capability. More particularly, the present invention relates to a connector device used in such a host/co-processor computer system.
2. Description of Related Art
As fully set forth in co pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 041,533 entitled "A Method Of Communicating Data Between The CPU Of A Host Computer System And The CPU Of A Co-Processor Computer System," filed Apr. 23, 1987,and assigned to the assignee of this application, which co-pending application is hereby incorporated by reference, there is a great need for a method for allowing application software from a normally noncompatible computer system to be utilized by a host computer system.
In the co-pending application, apparatus and methods are provided to accomplish high speed communication of data between the CPU of a host computer system and the CPU of a co-processor computer system which processes application software which is not compatible with the host computer system. A specific example is illustrated in the co-pending application by the Amiga computer system designed, manufactured, and marketed by Commodore Business Machines, Inc. of West Chester, Pennsylvania.
The Amiga system is a low-cost, high performance computer with advanced graphics features, sound features, and high speed performance. However, the Amiga system is not IBM-PC/XT or IBM-PC/AT ("PC") compatible and, thus, cannot use the library of PC application software which is readily available on the market. In the specific illustration of the co-pending application, means are disclosed for making the Amiga system, as the host computer system, PC compatible. The invention disclosed and claimed in that application, as well as the invention disclosed and claimed herein, are not limited to an Amiga/PC environment, however. That environment is merely presented as a specific, preferred environment for purposes of explanation.
As diagramatically illustrated in FIG. 7 of the co-pending application, which diagram is reproduced here as FIG. 1 with the 100 pin expansion Amiga bus slots 20 being renumbered 20(1), 20(2), 20(3), 20(4), and 20(5), a PC compatibility system 78 is added to host computer system 66 (that is, the Amiga system) for enhancing the host computer system to allow the host system to be compatible with PC application software. PC compatibility system 78 includes a dual port random access memory ("DPRAM") 76 and a co-processor system 70 which includes hardware (such as an 8088 CPU 54) and software necessary to create a PC environment and also includes PC application software to run in that environment. DPRAM 76 is connected on one port to the Amiga bus via one of the 100 pin expansion Amiga bus slots 20 and is connected on another port to the CPU bus of co-processor system 70.
As diagramatically illustrated in FIG. 2, PC compatibility system 78 can readily be mounted on a plug-in card called a "bridge card". Bridge card 200 includes a 100 pin host computer system CPU bus connector 202 connected to DPRAM 76 and a 62 pin co-processor system CPU bus connector 204 connected to the CPU bus of co-processor system 70 for an IBM PC/XT compatibility system. To add PC compatibility system to the host computer system 66, host computer system CPU bus connector 202 of bridge card 200 can be plugged into the Amiga bus at one of the 100 pin expansion Amiga bus slots 20(1), 20(2), 20(3), 20(4), and 20(5) shown in FIG. 1. As discussed below, co-processor computer system CPU bus connector 204 can be used to allow expansion cards to be utilized in the PC environment created by co-processor computer system 70.
In the above described host computer system and its PC compatibility enhancement, there is a need for a connector device that provides easy connection of the PC compatibility system to the CPU of the host computer system and to expansion slots on that bus and provides easy connection of the CPU bus of the co-processor computer system to expansion slots for the use of expansion cards in the PC environment created by the co-processor system. There is also a need for such a connector device that provides flexibility in the number of expansion slots available on the host computer system side of the PC compatibility system and those on the PC side of the system and provides easy access to those expansion slots.
It is, thus, an object of the invention to provide a connector device that allows easy connection of the PC compatibility system to the CPU of the host computer system and to expansion slots on that bus and to provide easy connection of the CPU bus of the co-processor computer system to expansion slots for use of expansion cards in the PC environment.
Another object of the invention is to provide a connector device which offers flexibility in the number of expansion slots available on the both sides of the PC compatibility system and allows easy access to those expansion slots.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a connector device which readily accepts a bridge card and expansion cards.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a connector device which readily accepts a bridge card in more than one slot while also accepting expansion cards.
A further object of the invention is to provide a connector device that is simple in construction and easy to manufacture.
Other objects and features of the invention will further become apparent with reference to the accompanying drawings and the detailed description of the invention or may be learned by practice of the invention.